Fountain-pen.



Patented July l, |902.

W.` W. SANFORD. v

FouNT-AIN P'EN.

(Applicatio led Apr. 22, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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UNTED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. SANFORD, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOFREDERICK D. BENNETT, OF FREEHOLD, NEW JERSEY.

FOUNTAIN-PEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters .Patent No. 703,479, dated July 1,1902.

Application filed April 22, 1902x Serial No. 104,200fl. (No model aspecification.

y This invention relates to improvements in fountain-pens,andparticularly of that kind which are provided with a collapsibleexpansible ink-reservoir in the barrel. In fountain-pens of this kindthere must be an open-Vv ing to admit excess of air-pressure into the'barrel to collapse the said reservoir, which is preferably a sack ofsheet rubber having sufficient elasticity toexpand to its normal sizeand shape when the excess of pressure is released by the same opening.Generally the excess of pressure is produced by the users blowing intothe said opening, the pen proper being at the same'time dipped into aninkbottle. When the user withdraws his lips from the openingin thebarrel, the excess of air-pressure is released, the reservoir (sack)expands to its normal size and shape, and ink is sucked into thereservoir.

The combinationof the collapsible expan-` sible ink reservoir or sackwith the other parts of the pen has great advantages. It

facilitates fillingY the pen with ink, avoiding the necessity of takingout the pen and feedl. bar in so doing, keeps the outside of the pen--section free of ink, so that it can be handled without soiling the handsor clothing, and` diminishes the liability of the temperature of thehand when the barrel is continuously held for a considerable time fromcausing the ink to spurt or flow ltoo readily from the pen; but the useof the collapsible reservoir involves the danger that the user will invarious ways accidentally compress the air in the barrel, therebycollapsing the sack and causing the ink to spurt out over papers orvclothes,

as by the users thoughtlessly blowing into the air-hole in the barrel orquickly pushing;

the cap home on the end of the barrel while accidentally closing theair-vent in the cap with his fingers. The liability to such accidentaldischarges of ink is a serious disadvantage in the use of the sack inpens as heretofore employed, and jit is the purpose of this invention toovercome thls disadvantage.

- The present invention relates particularly to the combination, withthe barrel and collapsible expansible reservoir, of a valve on or in thebarrel and so arranged as to open or V.close at the will of the user ofthe pen. vWhen .the sack is to be filled with ink, the pen proper isinserted into an ink-bottle, the valve is opened, and the user blowsinto the barrel or in any other manner produces an excess ofair-,pressure in the barrel to collapse the sack, the valve being openlong. enough to permit the excess of air-pressure to escape from thebarrel to permit the sack to expand again to its normal size and shape,drawing in ink while expanding. When the sack is full, the valve isclosed, and nofnrther excess of airpressure can be produced in thebarrel to accidentally collapse the sack and spurt ink over paper andclothes. The valve thus overcomes the disadvantages connected with theuse of the sack without the valve land makes the sack-pen, which I termanautomatic filling pen, thoroughly practicable.

Another advantage of the valve is that in case of injury to the sack thepen can be iilled and used as is the ordinary fountain-pen, the valvewhen closed preventing the leakage of ink.

Referring to the drawings which accompany the specification to aid thedescription,

iFigure l is a rear elevation of the penholder or barrel and pen. Fig. 2is a longitudinal section thereof as seen from the front of the pen.Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the valve shown in Fig. 2. Fig. Liis adetail, on an intermediate scale, of a modification of the valve.

Referring to Figs. l, 2, and 3, A is the barrel of the pen; B, thepen-section which threads or forces with tight lit into the lower end ofsaid barrel A. O is the feed or-feed-bar, and D the pen proper. j A

J is the cap, provided ywith the usual airvent c and which lits on-thelower end of the barrel A when the pen is not in use and on the upperend thereof when the penis in use. On the inner end of the saidpen-section Bis a conical or undercut neck, on which is tightly expandedthe open end or neck e of an elastic sack E, preferably made of thinsheetrubber, which its loosely within said barrel A. There is preferablya narrow annular air-space all around said sack E between it and thewall of barrel A, and the upper end of said sack E is preferablycone-shaped, as shown, to facilitate the passage of the air which isblown into said barrel down the sides of said sack, so as to producelateral and not end compression thereof. Said barrel A is provided withan air-inlet, and this is preferably edected by providing said barrelwith an open upper end,y in which fits a valve F. Said valve F has atight working fit or threads into the end of said barrel A, (andpreferably the latter, as shown,) and the stem g is partly cut away orgrooved on one side, as at 71 a shoulderrl being left above the groovedor cut-away part and which makes air-tight fit the air-inlet k.

with said barrel A when the valve is closed.

To fill the sack with ink, the valve is opened, and then the user eitherputs the valved end of the barrel into his mouth and blows into thebarrel or preferably puts the cap .I on the end of the barrel (the outerend j of said valve F being small enough to permit the cap to go on theend of said barrel) and blows through The excess of air-pressurecollapses said sack E, and the pen D and feed C being inserted into anink-reservoir when the user withdraws his lips from the end of said capJ or from valve F the excess of airpressure escapes from the barrel A,the elas- Licity of the sack E causes it to expand to its normal sizeand shape, and ink is drawn into lsaid sack. The valve F is then closed,so that no accidental admission of excessive air-pressure into thebarrel can collapse the sack and spurt ont the ink.

Instead of blowing into the barrel the pressure necessary to collapsethe sack when it is desired to fill the same with ink may be produced byclosing the hole k with the finger and then pushing said cap quicklyhome on the end of barrel A, the valve F having been first opened. Thenby removing the finger from said hole 7.: the excess of air-pressurewill escape from said barrel A and the sack .E will expand and ill, ashereinbefore stated.

The valve can be arranged in many different ways and either outside ofthe barrel A or inside of it, as shown in the drawings.

Fig. I shows one modification of the valve l wherein the stem g is notcut away; but there is an air-hole Z in the side of the barrel. Bygiving the valve a turn or two upward said hole l will be opened.Manifestly the valve might fit around outside of the barrel A andequally well open and close said. hole l.

Instead of making the pen-section B in a piece separate from barrel A itmight be in one piece with said barrel, and the feed-bar C might beprovided with the conical neck on which its the mouth of the sack E; butthe construction shown in the drawings and hereinbefore described ispreferable.

Now having described my improvements, I claim as my invention-- l. Thecombination in a pen, of a barrel provided with an ink-feed, acollapsible expansible reservoir in said barrel, and an airvalve on saidbarrel, substantially as described. a

2. The combination in a pen of a barrel provided with an ink-feed, anelastic collapsible sack in said barrel having its mouth communicatingwith saidinkfeed,andavalve on said barrel adapted to admit air into thebarrel to collapse said sack, and also adapted to be closed after saidsack is full and to exclude external air-pressure thereafter from thefilled sack, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a pen, of a barrel, a pen-section provided with anink-feed and with a neck projecting into the barrel, an elasticexpansible sack in the barrel attached at one end to said neck, and anair-valve on lss said barrel adapted to admit air into the bar- WILLIAMXV. SANFORD.

Witnesses:

DAVID WALTER BROWN, ABM. VAN SANTvooRD.

IOO

